Catheters



Oc't- 1965 J. w. FODERICK ETAL 3,

CATHETERS Filed Nov. 15, 1961 INVENTQR JQH/V H4 FODER/C'K (If/0' ENZO KRAHL BY Q FIG- 6 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,211,151 CATHETERS John W. Foderick, 1507 Tower Ave., Superior, Wis., and Enzo Krahl, Superior, Wis.; said Krahl assignor to said Foderick Filed Nov. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 152,518 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-349) This invention relates to improvements in catheters, and more particularly, in the so-called Foley rubber catheter commonly used in the drainage and/or treatment of the urinary bladder.

In general, such a catheter comprises an elongated soft rubber (or plastic) tube of about A" outside diameter having at one end a closed tip provided with one or more openings therein and being formed with double lumen or passageways, through one of which liquid from the bladder entering through the tip opening or openings may drain to the other end of the tube and thence usually to a collection receptacle. The other lumen or passageway communicates at its relatively outer or tip end with an annular chamber formed in the wall of the tube a short distance back of the aforesaid tip-end liquid entry openings, the outer defining wall of said annular chamber being thin thereby to function as an extensible diaphragm capable of forming a distensible collar or so-called balloon upon fluid under positive pressure being supplied to said chamber through said other passageway so as to be effective on the inner side of said thin wall. The pres sure-fluid passageway at its opposite end terminates in a branch tube through which pressure fluid may be supplied to the balloon when distension thereof is desired, for example, when the tip end of the tube is to be retained within the bladder for an extended time period. Although various means connected to the branch tube for eifecting distension of the diaphragm have been devised, more recently, the branch tube has been closed off by a self-sealing plug which is openable by piercing the plug with the needle of :a conventional hypodermic syringe filled with and capable of supplying sterile water to the passageway leading to the distensible diaphragm under the pressure requisite to effect distension thereof and formation of said balloon.

Although performing satisfactorily, the technique of inflating or forming the balloon following insertion of the catheter tip into the bladder by means of a separate hypodermic needle as aforesaid not only requires physically separate equipment accessory to the catheter per se but further necessitates the use of two hands and thus the services of a second person in holding the catheter in place while balloon distension is being effected.

Stated broadly, a major object of the present invention is in the provision of an improved Foley-type rubber catheter which overcomes the objections to existing catheters employing the inflatable or distensible balloon-type retension means for retaining the catheter tip in place within the bladder for extended periods of time, as explained in the foregoing, in simple, practical, yet thoroughly dependable manner.

More particularly, the invention contemplates and providcs a catheter incorporating as a unitary, self-contained component thereof the necessary means for effecting distension of the collar or balloon conventionally employed to retain the tip end of the catheter tube in operable position within the bladder.

Another object of the improved catheter as herein proposed is that of providing a Foley-type catheter incorporating means for effecting distension of the retension means with which such a device is equipped, which is so constructed and arranged as to require the services of but ice a single person in installing the catheter and thereupon setting, i.e. distending, said retention means.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of the improved catheter according to the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawing illustrative thereof, of which latter FIG. 1 is a brokenaway partsectional view showing a preferred embodiment of our improved catheter incorporating built-in means for effecting distension of the tip retaining collar or balloon means, the view showing said collar or balloon and the means for distending the same in their respective inactive positions;

FIG. 2 is a similar view but illustrating the retaining collar or balloon distended and its distending means in the active position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a correspondingly enlarged broken-away side elevation of the relatively head or control end of said distending means; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are end views of the head end of the distending means as such is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the improved catheter construction according to the present invention comprises an elongated soft rubber or plastic tube 10 of appropriate outside diameter for its intended purpose having double lumen or passageways 12, 14 provided therein, of which the larger passageway 12 extends between the closed tip end 16 of the tube which is provided with one or more liquid-entry openings 18 and its liquid discharge end 20, and the smaller passageway 14 extends between an annular chamber 22 at the tip end of the tube and which is set back a small distance from the aforesaid liquid opening or openings and a branch tube 24 which is connected to and is shown to extend generally parallel with said main tube discharge end 20. As best shown in FIG. 2, the aforesaid chamber 22 is defined by an inner-wall 22a which is formed by the relatively non-yielding inner wall portion of the tube proper, and a companion thinwall or diaphragm-type outer wall 22b which, by virtue of its thinness and the material making up same, is distensible in radially outward direction so as to form an enlarged collar-like formation responsive to positive pressure of a fluid (liquid) being directed against its inner side or face. To the extent so far described, said catheter is of well known construction, being referred to as a Foley rubber catheter.

According to the invention, a specially constructed syringe or hand pump constituting an integral or built-in component of the catheter proper for effecting distension of the thin diaphragm-type outer wall 22b of the aforesaid chamber 22 is provided. Such a hand pump, which is generally designated 26 (FIGS. 1 and 2), comprises a tubular cylinder or barrel 28 connected at its outlet or discharge end to the branch tube 24 and a plunger 30, mounted for reciprocating travel therewithin from and to an inactive or fully retracted position in which it is shown in FIG. 1 to and from an innermost or active position in which it is shown in FIG. 2. To prevent accidental or unintentional complete separation of plunger from cylinder, the inner or working-face end of the plunger is provided with a stop flange 30a which is adapted to engage against an internal stop shoulder 28a formed on the inner cylinder wall adjacent its outer or head end.

The volumetric capacity of the cylinder 28 is such that it is capable of containing a predetermined volume (for example, 5 cc.s) of a non-compressible fluid, such as sterile water, equal to the volumetric capacity of the smaller passageway 14 of the main catheter tube 10 and the chamber 22 formed upon radial outward distension of the diaphragm 22a. Thus, movement of the plunger 30 from its normal outermost position shown in FIG. 1 to its innermost position according to FIG. 2 forcibly ejects the water content of the cylinder from the same through the passageway 14 to the chamber, thereby distending the diaphragm to the form of an annular collar or balloon capable of retaining the tip end of the catheter within the bladder following its insertion thereinto.

The aforesaid hand-pump cylinder 26 is permanently affixed to the branch tube 24 by any technique or means suitable to the connection of such a cylinder, which is preferably fashioned from plastic, to the rubber branch tube, such means being illustratively shown as a coupling 32 affixed to each. According to a further feature of the invention, the head ends of both cylinder or barrel 28 and plunger 30 are formed with large-diameter radial flanges 34 and 36, respectively, which facilitate handling and operation of the hand pump 26 and further serve the useful purpose of mounting means for latching the plunger 30 in its innermost (active or diaphragm-distending) position. Although such latching means may take various forms, as shown it comprises a ball-shaped knob 38 carried on angled arm 40 projecting from the plunger flange 36 which disposes the knob adjacent the relatively under face of the cylinder flange 34 and serves to springbias it to its normal latching position. To effect a positive though readily releasable latching of the knob 38 to said flange 34, the latter is provided with two radially extend ing, laterally-spaced embossments 42a, 4211 (FIG. 3) under which the knob is adapted to snap when the flanges 34-, 36 are brought together or substantially together, as is best shown in FIG. 3, and from which the knob may be readily released by simple finger pressure.

In use of the improved catheter of the invention, the catheter tip 16 is inserted into the bladder in the usual manner, during which operation the plunger 30 of the hand pump 26 is in its retracted or non-active position in which it is shown in FIG. 1, as results in the retaining collaror balloon-forming means being fully or substantially collapsed. When it is desired to retain the catheter tip within the bladder for an extended period of time, it is necessary only to positively actuate the plunger of the hand pump inwardly of the cylinder to its substantially innermost, active position, whereupon the releasable latching means (knob 38 and embossments 42a, 42b) coact with one another in automatic manner to maintain the plunger in said innermost position. Since the noncompressible fluid content of the cylinder can move only into the chamber 22 with inward movement of the plunger, wherein it becomes effective against the inside face of the outer wall or diaphragm 22b thereof, distension of said diaphragm and formation of the desired retaining collar or balloon must necessarily result. That is to say, the non-compressible fluid serves as a liquid link movable back and forth between hand pump or syringe and distensible chamber 22 with reciprocatory travel of the plunger.

The advantage of such an arrangement will be appreciated when it is considered that the hand pump, rather than being a separate or accessory piece of equipment requiring the use of two hands to effect assembly thereof with the catheter proper and thereupon to operate, is an integral, component part of the catheter requiring no attachment to or detachment therefrom by personnel different from the person holding the catheter in place. Furthermore, the hand pump is capable of operation with one hand since the cylinder of the hand pump can be held by the same hand by which the plunger thereof is operated, leaving the other hand free to hold the catheter. Yet another advantage of the herein hand pump arrangement is that its plunger may be automatically latched in its innermost position for such period of time as it is desired to maintain the diaphragm 22b distended, thus relieving the person applying the catheter of any requirement to manually hold the plunger in its active innermost position.

Furthermore, by proper selection of the material of the diaphragm 2212 as to its distensibility, or more properly its resistance to distensibility, considered in conjunction with internal body pressures effective on the diaphragm when distended, the diaphragm will operate to collapse when the plunger 30 is unlatched from the cylinder. Thus, as a practical matter, it becomes possible to deflate or collapse the retention means or balloon, simply by unlatching the plunger, which can be achieved by light finger pressure applied to the latching knob 38 in direction as to release same from the embossments 42a, 42b, whereupon the plunger will return more or less automatically to its inactive (FIG. 1) position under the urge of the diaphragm 22b to return to its unstressed (non-distended) condition. Thus, by the improved catheter of the invention, both distension and return of the diaphragm to its non-distended condition is facilitated.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A catheter comprising an elongated tube having a tip end provided with at least one drainage opening and two passageways extending longitudinally therethrough, one passageway extending to the tip end for draining off liquid entering same through said drainage opening, a distensible and collapsible annular retention collar on said tube disposed adjacent said tip end and rearwardly of said drainage opening, the other passageway communicating at one end with the interior of said retention collar and at the other end with means permanently connected to said tube for effecting distention and collapse of said retention collar as desired, such means including a cylinder-plunger unit and a sealed-in body of non-compressible fluid normally contained in the cylinder of said unit but being movable back and forth between the cylinder and the interior of said retention collar with reciprocation of said piston, and spring-biased, manually releasable, coacting means on the head ends of the cylinder and plunger, respectively, for positively latching said plunger in its substantially innermost position within the cylinder responsive to movement of the plunger to said position, thereby to maintain said retention collar distended for a desired period of time without attention from the operator.

2. A catheter according to claim 1, wherein the head ends of both said cylinder and plunger are provided with radially enlarged flanges which assist in handling of the cylinder-plunger unit during its operation, and wherein said coacting latching means are carried by said cylinder and plunger flanges, respectively.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 551,545 2/43 Great Britain.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner. 

1. A CATHETER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBE HAVING A TIP END PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE DRAINAGE OPENING AND TWO PASSAGEWAYS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH, ONE PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING TO THE TIP END FOR DRAINING OFF LIQUID ENTERING SAME THROUGH SAID DRAINAGE OPENING, A DISTENSIBLE AND COLLAPSIBLE ANNULAR RETENTION COLLAR ON SAID TUBE DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID TIP END AND REARWARDLY OF SAID DRAINAGE OPENING, THE OTHER PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID RETENTIONN COLLAR AND AT THE OTHER END WITH MANS PERMANENTLY CONNECTED TO SAID TUBE FOR EFFECTING DISTENTION AND COLLAPSE OF SAID RETENTION COLLAR AS DESIRES, DUCH MEANS INCLUDING A CYLINDER-PLUNGER UNIT AND A SEALED-IN BODY OF NON-COMPRESSIBLE FLUID NORMALLY CONTAINED IN THE CYLINDER OF SAID UNIT BUT BEING MOVABLE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CYLINDER AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID RETENTION COLLAR WITH RECIPROCATION OF SAID PISTON, AND SPRING-BIASED, MANUALLY RELEASABLE, COACTING MEANS ON THE HEAD ENDS OF THE CYLINDER AND PLUNGER, RESPECTIVELY, FOR POSITIVELY LATCHING SAID PLUNGER IN ITS SUBSTANTIALLY INNERMOST POSITION WITHIN THE CYLINDER RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER TO SID POSITION, THEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID RETENTION COLLAR DISTENDED FOR A DESIRED PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT ATTENTION FROM THE OPERATOR. 